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Updated: Jun 7, 2026
06:52
Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Dependence as a unifying construct in defining Alzheimer's disease severity
Trent McLaughlin1, Howard Feldman, Howard Fillit
1Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy Research & Development, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
Alzheimer'S & Dementia : the Journal of the Alzheimer'S Association
|November 4, 2010
Summary
This review explores Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression by examining patient dependence. It proposes a framework to understand how cognitive, functional, and behavioral changes increase the need for care and support.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is clinically characterized by impairments in cognition, function, and behavior.
- These impairments progressively lead to increased patient dependence and loss of autonomy.
- Current literature often treats these domains separately, with limited focus on patient dependence as a progression metric.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review measures of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression in relation to patient dependence.
- To offer a unifying conceptual framework for understanding dependence in AD.
- To present patient dependence as a method for a holistic description of AD progression.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies measuring AD progression.
- Analysis of the relationship between AD clinical domains (cognition, function, behavior) and patient dependence.
- Conceptual synthesis to develop a framework for dependence in AD.
Main Results:
- Patient dependence increases across AD stages, from needing reminders to requiring significant assistance with basic functions.
- Changes in cognition, function, and behavior collectively contribute to escalating dependence.
- A conceptual framework is proposed to integrate these domains into a holistic view of AD progression.
Conclusions:
- Patient dependence offers a transparent and holistic descriptor of Alzheimer's disease progression.
- This framework can translate clinical changes into a clearer understanding of care needs.
- Further research can utilize this framework to better assess and manage AD progression.
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